mindset Archives | A Life in Progress

One of the Biggest Struggles of My Life

May 22, 2020 14 Comments

Inside: Perfectionism can drown us. It’s not all on us. We don’t control everything and everyone, no matter how much we care or love or how hard we work. One of the biggest struggles of my life is releasing my grip on needing, desperately needing, life to be orderly, tidy, safe. I spent my life wanting to be good – and realizing I could never be “good enough.” The thing I cared most about in this whole world was to be a good mom – a really good mom. And […]

5 Habits to Help You Show Up Strong When You Must Begin Again

Mar 28, 2020 11 Comments

Inside: Forced or willingly there come times in life when we familiar ground falls away and we are thrust into turbulence or transition. These 5 habits can help you show up strong if you must begin again. In times of turbulence or transition, the structure and flow of our daily life shifts, familiar ground falls away, and we are ushered into a new beginning. This past fall, after a long horrific battle to keep my son alive, after he left this world, I was forced to begin again. From crisis […]

It Takes Courage to Become Who You Really Are

Mar 19, 2020 12 Comments

Inside: Growth is messy and it takes courage to become who you really are. But doing this hard, stretching work leads to freedom and a sense of rootedness and calm. These three keys are essential to intentional, sustainable growth. As funny as it sounds, it can take decades for us to become who we really are. We’re called to sift through external and internal pressures and ideas about how we ought to be, push back against outdated messages about gender roles or familial patterns, accept the invitation to peel away […]

Embrace Imperfection or Real Life Will Never Be Enough

Jan 26, 2020 31 Comments

Inside: Our real, messy lives will be “never enough” until we embrace imperfection and accept that we are not in control of it all. I opened up my inbox as I often do in the morning to sift through interesting articles and ideas, share some online, and save a seed or two of thought for a later date. This morning it struck me as funny – in a sort of unfriendly, depressing way – that my intentionally curated inbox, brimming with interesting stats, science, and personal opinion for how to […]

If I Could Bottle Up One Gift For You: On Self-Compassion

Jan 6, 2020 2 Comments

Inside: If I could bottle up just one gift for you this year, it would be that of learning to walk in self-compassion. Here’s why. If I could give you one gift this year, it would be that of self-compassion. Self-compassion is fundamental to living with purpose, health, and joy, and for sustainable and meaningful growth. Self-compassion is also a key tool in learning to quiet the noise of comparison, perfectionism, and fear. Let me tell you how. According to Kristin Neff, associate professor in the University of Texas at […]

Walking Each Other Home: 19 Gifts of this Year as I Walked My Son Home

Dec 31, 2019 31 Comments

Walking each other home is a privilege. Here are 19 gifts I’ve picked up as I walked alongside my son through the final year of his life. TW: suicide, depression, grief On a cold wintry night, just over a year ago, my son and I sobbed and argued together as he finally admitted the truth about his plan to die. As his mama, I already knew. I knew him better than any other human on this planet. I feel like I knew him in ways he did not know himself […]

Why It’s Time to Stop Waiting for Everything to be Okay

Sep 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

Inside: Stop waiting for easy or perfect – life is messy but you are strong and brave enough to walk through each challenge or obstacle you face. This a guest post by Angie Schultz of The Becoming Place. Is everything going to be okay? How often have you said those words? Most of us have repeated some version of them many times, whether to ourselves or others. The predictable response: Everything will be okay, is meant to provide reassurance and hope. But those words can ring empty, even as you […]

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